Photo: Brennan Ray
Making new friends is not easy at any age. After being bullied by some of his peers, 11-year-old Shayden Walker wanted to find new kids to be his friends. So, he rang the doorbell of his neighbor, Brennan Ray, to ask if he knew any kids around his age in the neighborhood to be his friend. A doorbell security camera captured their heartwarming interaction in a video that has since gone viral on TikTok, accumulating over 70 million views.
Walker appears on Ray’s doorstep and quickly asks if he knows any children between the ages of 11 and 12. “I need some friends, like really bad,” Walker explains. Ray tells him that there are some kids who live on one end of the street, which prompts Walker to confess that those children were his old friends who used to bully him.
Walker then asks Ray if he has any children, and he admits that he has a daughter, but she’s only two. The young boy’s reaction is as surprising as it is sweet. “Oh, okay. That’s great! I actually love 2-year-olds, to be honest. They are the cutest things I have ever known,” he gushes. Later, Ray turned to TikTok to share the interaction. “It takes two seconds to make someone’s day. You never know what people are going through until you get a chance to talk to them,” Ray says in the caption. “This young man is well-mannered, kind, and brave. So TikTok, can we help Shayden make some friends?”
To everyone’s delight, Walker did meet some new friends afterward. However, Ray’s desire to help did not end there. After some encouragement from others, he and his wife started a GoFundMe, raising over $37,000 for anything that Walker may need like school clothes and even a family trip. Ray has even added an uplifting message to the GoFundMe campaign: “Let’s continue to show kindness to Shayden, and raise awareness for bullying and suicide prevention!” It’s amazing what neighbors can do for each other.
After being bullied, 11-year-old Shayden Walker decided to ring a neighbor’s doorbell to look for new friends in a TikTok video that has now gone viral.
@brennanray Its takes 2 seconds to make someones day, you never know what people are going through until you get a chance to talk to them. This young man is well mannered, kind, and brave. So tiktok can we help shayden make some friends???#fyp #bekind #nobullying #love #kindness #letschangetheworld ♬ original sound – Brennan Ray
Brennan Ray: TikTok
h/t: [Good News Network]
All images via TikTok.
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